We're nearing the end now. Today is Thursday, December 12th, and we begin performances of The Lesson on Monday night. This week, we've spent our time working to put the finishing touches on the show.

Last night as we were running through the last few minutes of the script, I could really see everything gel together. The vignettes now function within the main text. Initially, I was a bit concerned that they would break the flow irreparably. The purpose of the vignettes is to break up the flow, but it’s vital that the audience is able to easily jump back into the main line of action. We’ve been working painstakingly over the last few weeks to accomplish this end. Last night it really seemed to come together. Yes, the vignettes still stick out, but they’re supposed to. However, the vignettes now make perfect sense within the overall context of the show. They are completely logical. It’s now difficult for me to envision this play without them.

Originally, this vignette system was to distill the action of the play down to its bare essentials. I then cut them into the main text. These 15 vignettes underscore the key sociopolitical themes while adding texture and rhythmic variety. In addition to this, the vignettes have also taken an accepted piece of absurdest theatre and recreated it for a modern audience. When it was first produced, The Lesson shocked many people, it was something fresh, but anymore, this sort of theatre has moved itself squarely into the mainstream. Our hope is that our approach will cause audiences to stop and see this play in a new light.